“There was a place in the Hills, on the first ridge in the Game Reserve, that I myself at the time when I thought that I was to live and die in Africa, had pointed out to Denys as my future burial-place. In the evening, while we sat and looked at the hills from my house, he remarked that then he would like to be buried there himself as well. Since then, sometimes when we drove out in the hills, Denys had said: "Let us drive as far as our graves.”
This is indeed dear Ivan, "our graves." We have a family burial-place there...the names of those before and those to come. As the coffin was carried up the hill, his best friend's song wailed out in that lonely way a bagpipe has of sounding and resounding off the hills. There, many shovels were waiting, and we all begin to shovel the dirt on top of the grave. A woman friend remarked..."this is the kind of work we need right now, shoveling dirt, heavy shovels of dirt, one on top of another on top of him." And the sun was setting, and it was the beautiful site of so many childhood memories, playing there on the hill, knowing the safety and love of my grandmother's house below...waiting for us to come in .
Beth-
ReplyDeleteSending love. As ever. And blessings. May sweet dreams and happy memories accompany-
“There was a place in the Hills, on the first ridge in the Game Reserve, that I myself at the time when I thought that I was to live and die in Africa, had pointed out to Denys as my future burial-place. In the evening, while we sat and looked at the hills from my house, he remarked that then he would like to be buried there himself as well. Since then, sometimes when we drove out in the hills, Denys had said: "Let us drive as far as our graves.”
ReplyDeleteThis is indeed dear Ivan, "our graves."
ReplyDeleteWe have a family burial-place there...the names of those before and those to come.
As the coffin was carried up the hill, his best friend's song wailed out in that lonely way a bagpipe has of sounding and resounding off the hills.
There, many shovels were waiting, and we all begin to shovel the dirt on top of the grave.
A woman friend remarked..."this is the kind of work we need right now, shoveling dirt, heavy shovels of dirt, one on top of another on top of him."
And the sun was setting, and it was the beautiful site of so many childhood memories, playing there on the hill, knowing the safety and love of my grandmother's house below...waiting for us to come in .